US President Donald Trump received a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa during a Diwali celebration held in the Oval Office on Friday, 7 November (local time), according to Indian-origin entrepreneur Vishal Gondal, who said he presented the devotional text and offered a prayer for friendship between India and America. The gathering, listed on the White House's official schedule for 1:30 pm EST, was closed to the press.

The Gift and the Ceremony

'Honored to celebrate Diwali with President @realDonaldTrump and proud to gift him with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa, Tulsidas's hymn to Lord Hanuman that millions of us recite for courage, devotion and strength,' Gondal wrote in a post on X. A photograph shared by Gondal showed a cream-coloured copy of the text resting against red fabric, its cover depicting a kneeling Lord Hanuman holding a text, with the title in red lettering, lotus motifs below, and metallic corner protectors.

Gondal described the lamp-lighting moment in personal terms: 'As the diyas were lit, my prayer was for friendship between India and America, and for the triumph of light over darkness.' A photographed programme he shared outlined a half-hour ceremony, with presidential remarks and the lighting of a diya scheduled five minutes after the start.

Who Was Listed to Attend

The programme, marked 'subject to change', listed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FBI Director Kash Patel, and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya among the planned participants. Also named were Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra, IBM chief executive Arvind Krishna, Micron Technology chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra, chef Vikas Khanna, and businesswoman Ruby Dhalla. Attendance by everyone named in the programme was not independently confirmed.

A group photograph showed guests in Indian attire and dark suits gathered around the president's desk, flanked by gold curtains and flags. Books, telephones, and a model aircraft were visible on the polished desktop.

The Trump Coin and Personal Reflections

Gondal also shared an image of a commemorative coin he received — its black face carrying gold-coloured lettering, a central crest, and the inscriptions 'President of the United States' and '45th & 47th', set within a silver-coloured rim. 'The Trump coin I received this Diwali will always remind me of this day,' he wrote. In a later post, he added: 'I never imagined celebrating Diwali in the Oval Office. Being there with President Trump, I felt his magnetic presence firsthand.'

A White House Tradition With Deep Roots

White House Diwali observances date back to George W. Bush's administration in 2003. Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to light a diya at the White House in 2009, according to the Obama White House archive — a ceremony held in the East Room. The tradition has since become a fixture in White House diplomatic and cultural outreach, particularly significant given the growing influence of the Indian-American community. This year's Oval Office gathering adds a new dimension, with a sacred Hindu devotional text formally presented to a sitting president for the first time in documented accounts.

The event is likely to be closely watched by observers of India-US relations, coming at a time when bilateral ties across trade, technology, and defence remain a foreign policy priority for both governments.